Grand Central Station / Terminal – Location
The Grand Central Terminal, or the Grand Central Station as it is popularly known, is located in the Midtown East neighborhood of Manhattan in New York city.
Its exact address is:
89 East 42nd Street at Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Grand Central Station / Terminal – Contact Details
- Phone: 212-532-4900
- Website: Grand Central Station / Grand Central Terminal
About the Grand Central Station / Terminal
Grand Central Terminal (GCT) is often called Grand Central Station or as a short name “Grand Central”. It is a passenger and commuter train station situated at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City.
Grand Central Station / Terminal Main Concourse
The Grand Central Station / Terminal was built by and named as the New York Central Railroad during the heyday of American long-distance trains. It was opened in 1871, and has been rebuilt in 1913 and 1994.
The Grand Central Station / Terminal is considered the biggest train station in the world if we count the number of platforms – it has 44 platforms, with 67 tracks along them! The total numbers of tracks along platforms and in rail yards is more than 100!
The platforms are on two levels. First is the upper level having 41 tracks, and other is the lower level having 26 tracks. Both the levels are under the ground.
The Grand Central Station / Terminal is spread over an area of 48 acres. No wonder it is called the “Grand” Central Terminal!
In 1976 The Grand Central Terminal was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and declared a National Historic Landmark
Interesting Fact: “Grand Central Station” was the name of the earlier train station on the site. Since 1913, it has been renamed as the “Grand Central Terminal”.
What to see at the Grand Central Terminal / Station
The travel magazine “Travel + Leisure” in its October 2011 survey found out that the Grand Central Station / Terminal is the world’s sixth most visited tourist attraction! In fact, around 21,600,000 (21.6 million) visitors visit the terminal every year.
Grand Central Terminal / Station Ceiling with Astronomical Paintings
The Grand Central Station / Terminal building is an architectural beauty. You can see many statues (including the Eagle statue from the original Grand Central Station) and a clock on the outer facade of the building.
Once inside, you would be amazed to see its ceiling, which features an astronomical design. There are two interesting things about this ceiling: the sky is backwards, and the stars are slightly displaced! The ceiling has been painted by the artist Giovanni Smeraldi.
Apart from the platforms and other train-related facilities, the Grand Central Station has many restaurants (like the Oyster Bar) and fast food outlets on the Dining Concourse, which is located on a level below the Main Concourse. It also has many newsstands, bakeries, delis, and other stores.
Grand Central Station / Terminal – Visiting Hours
Grand Central Terminal is open to the public daily from 5:30 am until 2:00 am.
Grand Central Station’s shops, restaurants and market are open 7 days a week with the following hours:
Grand Central Retail Stores
- Monday – Friday: 8:00 a to 8:00 pm
- Saturday: 10:00 am to 8:00 pm
- Sunday: 11:00 am to 6:00 pm
The Oyster Bar at the Grand Central Station
Grand Central Dining Concourse
- Monday – Saturday: 7:00 am to 9:00 pm
- Sunday: 11:00 am to 6:00 pm
Grand Central Market
- Monday – Friday: 7:00 am to 9:00 pm
- Saturday: 10:00 am to 7:00 pm
- Sunday: 11:00 am to 6:00 pm
Grand Central Fine Restaurants and Lounges
- Times vary.
How to reach the Grand Central Station / Terminal
The Grand Central Station / Terminal is centrally located in one of the most busy commercial / office locations in New York City. It can be easily accessed by all forms of public transportation.
Grand Central Terminal Building Exterior
By Train / Subway
You can take the:
- 4, 5, 6, 7 and S trains to the Grand Central Station subway stop
By Bus
You can easily reach the Grand Central Station / Terminal by city buses as well.
- You can take the M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M42, M98, M101, M102, M104 buses from Manhattan
- You can take the Q32 bus from Queens
Alternatively, you can go to the Grand Central using the popular New York City hop-on hop-off buses.
Grand Central Station / Terminal Admission Tickets
The Grand Central Terminal / Station is a public building, and there is no entrance ticket or fee required for visiting it.
Other Tourist Attractions Near Grand Central Station / Terminal
- Toys R Us Times Square
- Times Square
- Ripley’s Believe It Or Not
- Bryant Park
- Empire State Building
- Central Park
- Intrepid Air and Space Museum
- Shopping on 5th Avenue
- The American Museum of Natural History
- The Plaza Hotel
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met)
- Apple Store on Fifth Avenue
(Image source)
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